Checker-type board game apparatus



March 25, 1969 R. v. FYANES CHECKER-TYPE BOARD GAME APPARATUS FiledApril 8. 1966 20 14 1Q 20 (B H II) United States Patent U.S. Cl.273--131 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A checker-type playingboard having alternating playmg squares and nonplaying squares, a factorcard in each of the nonplaying squares, each factor card having at leastone factor and each factor on each card having a predeterminedcorrelation with one or more factors on other of said cards, said factorcards being separate from said board and adapted to be shuffled anddealt at random into said nonplaying squares at the start of the game,playing pieces for movement on said playing squares and from at leastsome of said playing squares onto a factor in a nonplaying squareadjacent each such playing square to capture such factor, transparentmarkers adapted to overlie captured factors, and opaque markers foreliminating from play duplicates of captured factors.

The present invention relates to games, particularly to an improved gamecombining the game of checkers and a game or test of skill and/orknowledge wherein factors must be paired, combined or accumulated,and/or their pairing, combination or accumulation defended against to agiven end. The game may in various embodiments be devised for fun, foreducation and/ or for a combination of the two.

The game of the present invention comprises basically the game ofcheckers, utilizing a checkerboard, the usual checker playing pieces andat least elementally the rules of checkers. However, the game departsfrom checkers in that the usually unoccupied spaces between the normalplaying squares receive cards bearing factors which, by nonconventionalmovements of the playing pieces, may be captured, reserved or retrievedat the option and within the skill of the players for the purposes ofaccumulating and/or preventing accumulation of correlated factors andthereby building and/or preventing a scoring point advantage between theplayers.

The game is devised for two players and the mode of play is generally inaccord with the rules of checkers. The factors to be combined oraccumulated by retrieval from the usually unoccupied squares of theboard may constitute the elements or factors of a game, such as ginrummy or other card games, bowling, pool or other similar games, orhockey, football, baseball or other sports; or the factors mayconstitute elements of a given educational subject, such as the pairingof dates and events in history, places and locales in geography,theorems and diagrams in geometry, etc. The scoring of the game ispreferably in accord with the ability to accumulate and/ or preventaccumulation of properly correlated factors, and the objectives of playare to so combine the skills of checkers and knowledge of the selectedfactors as to control the play while accumulating the most factorscoring points.

The invention is perhaps most easily understood with reference to anembodiment combining checkers and gin rummy because of the popularacceptance of both of these games. Consequently, I will describe indetail hereinafter as a preferred embodiment of my invention a gamewhich I have denoted Gin Checkers. However, it will be understood thatthis description is given essentially by way of example, from whichother embodiments will be apparent to those of reasonable skill in theart.

3,434,719 Patented Mar. 25, 1969 Thus, for purposes of acquainting thoseskilled in the art with the manner of making and playing the game of myinvention, I shall describe, in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, that which I presently regard to be .a preferred and easilycomprehended embodiment of my invention, and the preferred manners ofmaking the game and playing it.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the playing board of my game;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a playing piece;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a factor card;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of? a marker used during play; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-section of the board, playing pieces,factor cards and markers as assembled for and/ or during play.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the playing board in the preferred embodiment ofmy game, which is indicated generally at 10, comprises in layout atsubstantially conventional square checkerboard having a total ofthirtytwo playing squares 12 alternating with thirty-two usuallyunoccupied or nonplaying squares 14, the squares being arrayed in eightrows each having eight squares and the two types of squares alternatingwith one another in both directions in the plane of the board. Usually,the squares of one type are given a first color- (e.g., red) and thesquares of the other type are given a contrasting color (e.g., black) tofacilitate distinction therebetween. Also, it is generally customary toprovide a fold line, indicated at 16, centrally of the board toaccommodate folding of the board in half for convenience of packagingand storage, and also to divide or mark off the board into tworespective halves 10a and 10b. The board :may, if desired, or ifadvantageous in respect of a given embodiment thereof, be made with moreor fewer squares and in rectangular configurations other than square.However, for my game of Gin Checkers I prefer the arrangement described.

While the playing board 10 has an appearance similar to that of acheckerboard, the actual construction thereof is preferably quitedifferent in that the normally unoccupied or nonplaying squares 14 arerecessed relative to the playing squares 12 to define pockets orrecesses for reception of factor cards, as will presently appear. Toprovide these recesses, the board may be molded from plastic,papier-mache, or any other suitable material, or may be built up fromlaminae of paper, plastic, or other sheets. In the illustratedembodiment, the board is assembled at the fold line 16 from twoidentical halves 10a and 1%, each of which is made from two sheets ofpaper board or the like, namely an imperforate bottom sheet 17 and a topsheet 18 which is die cut to in effect remove therefrom the areascomprising the nonplaying squares. By providing round corners in each ofthe die cuts, i.e., each of the nonplaying squares, suflicient parts ofthe sheet are retained to provide links between the playing squares forholding the sheet together as a unitary perforate sheet. Also, theserounded corners facilitate reception and retention of the factor cardsin the recesses defined by the holes. After their separate formation,the two sheets 17 and 18 may be separately printed prior to assemblywhereby to provide contrasting colors for the squares, decoration, etc.Then, the two sheets may easily be laminated together, as by gluing, tocomplete the playing board.

The recessed squares 14 thus defined in the board 10 are such adaptedfor reception of a factor card, an example of which is shown in FIGURE 3and indicated by the numeral 20. Each card 20 is simply a small squareof paperboard, plastic, or the like of a size to fit conformably withinthe recessed squares 14. Sufficient cards are provided to fill some orall of the squares 14, or the game may be devised to have a surplus ofcards whereby some will be buried or out of play during a game therebyto enhance the particular game. Each card is printed with one or morefactors thereon, and factors may be printed singly or in multiple on oneor both sides of each card.

The factors on any given card preferably have no relation to one anotherbut do each have correlation with a factor on another card, unless thegame is devised to embody false factors as in a multiple choice type ofexamination question. For example, in a game of state capitols, one cardmay bear the factor Illinois and another the factor Springfield, athird, the factor, New York and a fourth the factor Albany; the objectof the game being to capture as many such correlated pairs as possible.Complexity could be added to this game by adding false or misleadingfactors, such as Chicago and New York City.

In the game selected for illustration herein, the factors printed on thecards 20 are the fifty-two different denominations found in aconventional deck of playing cards. In the preferred embodiment, Iprovide factors equivalent to two decks of playing cards, each deckcomprising sixteen of the cards 20, namely, four cards bearing fourfactors as shown in FIGURE 3, eleven cards bearing three factors(suitably occupying three of the four quadrants of the card, leaving thefourth blank) and one card having three factors and a special markingthereon serving as a safety zone or emergency, penalty-free exit. Thetwo decks of sixteen of the cards 20 are assigned to the respectiveplayers, each of whom shuffies his cards and deals them face up into therecessed squares 14 on his half a, or 10b of the board to start eachgame.

The factor cards could of course be arranged differently, e.g., one deckof playing card denominations on thirty-two of the factor cards, onedeck of playing card denominations on fifty-two factor cards (thusleaving twenty factors out of each game) or on 26 cards (thus leavingsome squares 14 blank or empty), etc. Also, the factors cards could besecured in, or even printed in or on, the squares 14, but this wouldresult in stereotyping and would not afford the variation and theanalytical aspects of the game consequent upon shufiling and redealingthe cards at the start of each game.

After the cards have been shuflied and dealt as above described, therebyplacing a factor card in each square 14, playing pieces 30, such asshown in FIGURE 2, are placed in normal checker playing position on theplain squares 12 of the board. The playing pieces consist, as isconventional, or twelve pieces each of two contrasting colors, e.g., redand black, one player using the pieces of one color and the other playerusing the pieces of the second color. Each player places his playingpieces on the twelve starting playing squares on his side 10a or 105 ofthe board, the two rows of squares 12 contiguous to the center line 16being left blank.

Play commences as in a regular checker game and for the most part isgoverned by the rules of checkers, supplemented however by thefollowing:

Points are scored by making gin rummy combinations of three or morefactors, i.e., three of a kind such as three jacks or three sixes, or arun of three or more cards in the same suit, such as eight, nine and tenof clubs. This is accomplished by each player moving his checkers on thesquares 12 to locations adjacent and then onto selected factor cards (aswill be described) and exchanging the checkers for selected ones of thefactors on the cards.

For purposes of enhancing the play, I prefer to use two decks of playingcard denominations as above described and to limit the factor exchangecapability of a regular or unkinged checker, hereinafter called simply achecker, to factor cards on the opponents side of the board, thusrequiring that each checker be moved on the squares 12 at least acrossthe center line 16 of the board.

Also, I prefer that the exchange capability of a checker be limited toforward and/or sideward movements from the square 12 to which it hasbeen moved by normal checker play. A king on the other hand, to enhanceits value, may be exchanged with any factor anywhere on the board bymovement in any of the four directions from the square 12 to which itwas last moved.

From the foregoing, it becomes manifest that as play starts, each playershould analyze the factor cards on his opponents side of the board andmentally plot his plan of attack to accumulate gin rummy points; andalso analyze the factor cards on his own side of the board,p-rognosticate his opponents plan of attack and formuate a defensethereto, i.e., plan such checker moves (no nonmoves) as necessary toblock or prevent (as by jumping) his opponent reaching the squares 12contiguous to factor cards 20 the opponent would probably deemsignificant. Since play ends when one player runs out of checkers, dueto sacrificing the same for factors and/ or jumps by his opponent, eachplayer should give thought to the best way of accumulating scoringpoints for himself, avoiding accumulation of penalty points (factorstaken that are not usable for gin rummy scoring), preventingaccumulation of scoring points by his opponent, and ending the game bysacrifice of his own checkers or the taking of his opponents checkers.The winning of the checker game may or may not be worth some scoringpoints, and this may be decided by the players beforehand.

Once a player has moved a checker onto the square 12 contiguous to(i.e., to the rear or side of) the square 14 containing the factor inwhich he is interested, he may on and as his next play move onto thesquare 14 and select one of the factors on the card thereon. The checkerso moved is then taken out of play, i.e., removed from the board. In thecase of a king, the player may move the king forward or backward or toeither side onto any of the four factor cards contiguous to the square12 on which the king is sitting, and again, the king is sacrificed forthe factor selected.

To keep track of the factors accumulated by each player, I providefactor markers 40, such as shown in FIGURE 4, which are simply smallsquares of a size equal to the allotted space of a factor on the factorcards and which may be placed over the selected factor to show that ithas been taken by a player. At least two sets of said markers areprovided, namely, two sets of the same colors respectively as thecheckers of the players and consigned to the respective players. Thesemay be transparent colored plastic discs or small frames, thereby toreveal therethrough the factor marked as taken by the respective player.Preferably, a third set of markers is employed, which are opaque andessentially colorless, to cover or block out on one side of the boardthe factor cor-responding to a factor taken by a player on the oppositeside of the board, since otherwise there would be two factors of a givendenomination actively in the game, which would result for example ineight kings rather than four kings, and which does not jibe with theconventional playing of gm rummy.

Play proceeds as thus described in accord with the rules of the game ofcheckers, but with the supplemental features of each player exchangingcheckers for factors to build scoring points in accord with the rules ofthe game of gin rummy. Whenever a conflict occurs between the rules ofthe two games, the rules of one or the other may be predetermined to becontrolling in each such instance, or an arbitrary rule may be decidedupon. For example, in a situation where a player is faced with whatwould be a forced jump in checkers and at the same time has the right toexchange his checker for a factor that would be significant to his ginrummy points, it may be predetermined that the player himself has theoption, but only the one option, of taking the factor or making thejump.

Since scoring is primarily on the basis of gin rummy point accumulation,and not on the basis of winning a game of checkers, it may behoove aplayer who is reduced to a weakened checker playing condition to get ridof his remaining checkers as quickly as possible. To guard against histaking factors of no consequence to his gin rummy game for the purposeof simply dumping his checkers, penalty points are attached tonon-scoring factors taken by the player. Also, it may be desirable toestablish the rule that any factor taken must be a significant one tothe players existing gin rummy factor accumulation before the player canmake an exchange. Thus, the player would have to take significantfactors and/or force his opponent to jump him in order to get out of thegame. As an added feature of my game, I prefer to provide a penalty-freeescape route for the checkers of such a player, but a route thatrequires some degree of skill on his part. Specifically, as previouslynoted, I have provided on one of the cards 20 in each of the two decks amarking serving as an emergency exit whereby two exits are provided onthe board by means of which escape from the game may be effected.Manifestly, neither of these exits constitutes a factor that can beexchanged for a checker or taken over by one player moving to thatsquare. They are simply a way of getting checkers out of the game, asmany as necessary, without penalty.

Intellectually, the game of the present invention is thus seen to be afascinating study requiring the conventional skills of both checkers andgin rummy and also requiring analytical study and offensive anddefensive planning, and developing the players ability to shift ormodify plans as the play of the game changes the situations presented onthe playing board. Physically, the game is very economically constructedand assembled, and can be made to afford a long service life.

Also, the physical structure of the board lends itself to a multitude ofeducational and/or recreational purposes simply, or at leastessentially, by supplying different sets of factor cards, such ashistory factors, geography factors, mathematics factors, etc. These inturn may be arranged to require the combination of factors in twos,threes, fours, etc., in order to attain scoring points. Moreover, thefactors may be selected according to age and/ or knowledge levelsthereby to provide educational and/ or recreational games for all facetsof the general public, from children in the grades to college students,scientists, economists, etc.

Moreover, the rules of play may be modified, restricted, or enlargedupon to accomplish a variety of purposes, and the factors employed maybe simple or complex, or of large or small number. For example, for agame for small children, there may be only one factor on each of thecards 20 and the children may remove and hold each card that theycapture during a game, thereby eliminating the need for and possibleconfusion in their little minds consequent upon use of the markers 40.

Accordingly, while I have shown and described What I regard to be thepreferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be appreciated thatvarious changes, rearrangements and modifications may be made thereinwithout departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A game apparatus comprising, in combination, a checker type playingboard having alternating playing squares and nonplaying squares, saidnonplaying squares being recessed relative to said playing squares, afactor card in each of said nonplaying squares, each factor card bearingat least one factor and each factor on each card having a predeterminedcorrelation with one or more factors on other of said cards, playingpieces for movement on said playing squares and from at least some ofsaid playing squares into at least some of said non-playing squares, andmarkers separate from said board and said playing pieces and visuallydistinguishable therefrom,

said markers being of a size sufficiently small to fit Within theoutline of and adapted to be inserted in said recessed nonplayingsquares over said factors.

2. A game apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said cards being separatefrom said board, of a size to be inserted in and removed from saidrecessed nonplaying squares and of a thickness less than the depth ofsaid recessed squares, said markers being adapted to be inserted withinsaid recessed squares on top of said cards.

3. A game apparatus comprising, in combination, a checker type playingboard having alternating playing squares and nonplaying squares, afactor card in each of said nonplaying squares, each factor card havingat least one factor and each factor on each card having a predeterminedcorrelation with one or more factors on other of said cards, said factorcards being separate from said board and adapted to be shuflled anddealt at random into said nonplaying squares at the start of a game,playing pieces for movement on said playing squares and from at leastsome of said playing squares onto a factor in a nonplaying squareadjacent each such playing square, and transparent colored markersseparate from said playing pieces, said board and said cards andvisually distinguishable therefrom, said markers being of a sizesufficiently small to fit within the outline of a nonplaying square andadapted to be placed over said factors.

4. A game apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said playing piecescomprise two sets visually distinguishable from one another, said cardscomprise two sets visually distinguishable from one another and saidmarkers comprise two sets visually distinguishable from one another, oneset of each for each of two players; and opaque markers similar to saidtransparent markers for blocking out on one set of cards the factorcorresponding to a factor taken by a player on the other set of cards asthe factor on said other set of cards is taken by the respective playerand so marked with a respective transparent marker.

5. A game apparatus comprising, in combination, a checker type playingboard having alternating playing squares and nonplaying squares, afactor card in each of said nonplaying squares, each having a pluralityof factors thereon, said factors occupying uniform areas on said cardsand each factor on each card having a predetermined correlation with oneor more factors on other of said cards, playing pieces for movement onsaid playing squares and from at least some of said playing squares ontoa factor in a nonplaying square adjacent each such playing square, andmarkers separate from said board and said playing pieces and visuallydistinguishable therefrom, said markers being sufficiently smalf to fitwithin the outline of a nonplaying square and adapted to be placed oversaid factors, each marker being of a size sub stantially equal to thatof the area of a card occupied by a single factor and adapted to overlieonly a single factor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 574,192 12/1896 Climenson 273-1311,546,831 7/1925 Fritz 273-131 2,273,932 2/1942 Caesar 27 3131 2,732,2111/1956 Foster 273-431 FOREIGN PATENTS 946,778 12/ 1948 France. 1,112,92411/1955 France.

605,986 8/1948 Great Britain.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 273-l37, 136

